Part
Chapter Three:
Religions Reach for Power
3.1 Ritual
"The essential debate over ritual has generally
involved issues of whether ritual reduces or enhances the ambiguity of
life."
The spirit or soul represents
the common denominator in all of religious experience. As mentioned
earlier, it was this feeling of something permanent (real or imaginary)
in seemingly transient aspects of nature, that lead to the whole idea of
spirit. Something that survived the animated state. This was true not
only of ourselves, but of other living things around us. There have
been various spirits thought to be dwelling inside of trees and
animals. Some religions even allocate spiritual qualities to entirely
inanimate places or objects such as hills or stones. Indeed, if
animation was not the prerequisite for mind, and apparently it was not
if it were able to survive it, then why not? Spirits existed in the
other world without ever having had a material body.
As I mentioned earlier, Paul
Tillich spoke of Religion as Ultimate Concern. Why be concerned at
all? What is it within the mechanism of consciousness that inspires
concern? Is it as some have suggested a "ghost" image created as a side
effect of our two hemisphere brain? Or is there in fact some "other"
physics involved that has nothing to do with brain function at all?
Far too often, the flood of
questions experienced during the adolescent period of life leaves many
people feeling uncertain, frustrated, and even frightened. As our
developing minds seek to find certainty in an uncertain world, where
does one look for answers? Paul Tillich believed there is an
inseparability between religion and culture. And culture will
invariably direct one towards religion for answers to life's questions.
Not only do we find the
concept of concern, or caring, unique to living things, but it appears
confined to higher life forms only. Mammals in particular are seen to
display a sense of caring. Especially concerning there young.
I frequently hear the Why
Bother Whine. "What", they say, "does any of this have to do with our
day to day lives? Even my partner has questioned the merits of open
discourse on subjects as elusive as God, and the meaning of life.
"Does it put food on the table or gas in the tank?" And my answer is
this: how you perceive the world and your place in, it is based on what
you have been taught about it. In medieval times people were taught by
parents, friends, and unfortunately The Church, that there existed in
the world horrific creatures bent on the torment of mankind. People
were truly afraid of demons and evil spirits, and found the proof in bad
luck. So you see, how comfortable you are with the world as you know
it, and more important, your place within it, determines how happy we
can be. Happiness, in itself, does not put food on the table either
(although it does tend to make work more productive) but it is a goal we
are constantly striving for. The need to understand and be at peace
with existence is more important than happiness, is indeed a
prerequisite for true happiness. For me there can never be happiness in
my life without some understanding of my relationship with existence.
Often what I feel I am hearing from these nay Sayers, is a sort of tired
resignation. They have touched upon these ideas and found themselves
lacking in ability or perseverance to reach any meaningful conclusions.
Perhaps they "burned out" after too many differing ideas in too short a
period of time. Just couldn't decide. Maybe their meandering into
things religious revealed to many "dead ends" and they just gave up. Or
were just too young and lacking in experience to appreciate the
intricacy of philosophical thought. Neither Faith, nor Physics, is an
easily traveled path. Both require a good deal of head scratching and
more than a headache or two.
Religion is the practice
of worship. It is the rituals and the prayers. It is the active
aspect of Faith. It’s going somewhere, doing something to affirm your
beliefs. It is very much a cultural thing. It is socializing and
affirming in a social environment. And because it is cultural, it is
unfortunately political. Much of what happened in the New Testament
took place in a highly charged political environment.
The altered state associated
with a spiritual epiphany was often a freighting one. There were for
these times various means of maintaining a focus on the experience
without becoming overly fearful. The Hindu found solace in the
repetitive words of a Mantra. The Christians similarly use prayer or
reciting portions of the Bible. Other ways?
Expand (?)
One need not look far to establish
relevance to a revitalized discourse in the Question of God in modern
times. In resent world wide testing results, the United States is way
behind in both Math and Science. At the same time, we still have
several of our southern states, defying our constitution and demanding
that prayer be allowed in our schools. This concerns me greatly for
many reasons. foremost of which is the continuing of the dichotomy of
secular and religious teachings. Science is tolerated while "the faith"
is maintained foremost in the minds of these young southern students.
The relevance therefore, may have very much to do with putting food on
the table and gas in the tank! If the Jesus Freaks recruit another
generation of "God fearing" Christians, with it's hostile attitude
towards anything that contradicts It's ancient texts, we stand to loose
a great deal indeed! We may not always be the rich superpower we are
today. Up until now, our only competitors in the grab for world wealth,
was our relatives from Europe. With whom we shared a mutually
cooperative relationship. Today countries all around the world are
industrializing and directly competing with the US. And many are not
friendly at all.
Where will religion go? Can it survive?
As we shall see, giving up our religious inclinations is extremely
difficult. It's like they are as much a part of humanity as walking
upright. That religious views have changed and will continue to change
is certain. Catholicism,
Analogy: soul as boat on ocean,
knowledge is like the sail. Wisdom the rudder. Wisdom doesn't
necessarily come from knowledge de facto(?), but knowledge and
experience makes for better, well informed, decision making. And lets
face it, when good choices are made we are happier with the outcome
(self explanatory since the happy outcome is what defines the choice as
"good"!). And people who are happy live longer more productive lives,
day to day having an overall better time than those who are sad and
frustrated. Are we together on this?
The majority of religious views,
particularly those of the Judaic family tree, have always asserted that
man is divided from the greater reality and had definitely got the
shorter end of the stick! Man was below the heavens; a place of glory
and where the greatest of being or beings lived a live of wonder (if not
always perfection).
Prevalent in nature, and one of its
greatest mysteries, is the predominance of a religious perception among
all groups of humans. however separate in location and culture they may
be. It seems obvious then that in some form this sense of
religiousness, like the sense of curiosity, are some how a fundamental
part of ourselves and should presumably have a survival benefit; or at
least leading to an "edge" over alternate behaviors. If this is so,
then one would immediately have to inquire: How did God and the
assurance of his existence contribute to the betterment of Man? In the
same breath, if possible, one need also to ask how did science and the
assurance of its accuracy contribute to the betterment of Man?
faith in god was to provide the hope of a
better existence in an afterlife. Conditions were pretty bad.
Primitive in comparison to today's standards. Laws were intended to
protect the tribe from within and was primarily served the good of the
group.
Science provides us with that knowledge
of god in his material existence, to finally begin to work with god in a
constructive way. We have every thing that we need. Food. Shelter.
Material goods up the yin yang. We no longer serve god to benefit the
tribe. the tribes has become huge nations. Millions of people. Expect
in next 50 to 100 years there will be a true sense of One Tribe (members
of the planet earth). What hope now? With our new knowledge of god,
can we find truly practicable appeasement's to our Lord God. Like
cleaning up the environment instead of sacrificing first born calves.
Would he not be more pleased with his children. Being good tenants of
our rented planet?
In any attempt to acquire a clearer
perspective on the human condition I feel that it is important to
consider the fact (one that biblical literalists consider most offensive
because it breaks a fundamental religious/political assumption) that not
all men (or women) are NOT created equally. This is not to
condone suppression of individual human (or huwoman) rights, or justify
prejudice, based on our differences. But the fact that we are different
means only that! Not better or worse.
Some people are born with inherited
diseases. Some are color blind. Some have twice the number of taste
buds on their tongues than others. Some have different skin
pigmentation. And yes, there seems to be confirmation that there are
indeed differences in "brain power" if you will. But one aspect of
holism is that the entire system appears to have more potential than any
component part. And we now know that if one area is deficient or
injured, it is often cause for increased ability in another area. A
Compensation Effect.
So perhaps in a way, although we are not
equal in all aspects of our being, we are equal in our abilities to
maintain maximum efficiency of our overall or "holistic" capabilities.
And besides, it is not that great a shift in perspective to see these
"differences" as those very qualities that make each of us unique.
The parallels between the church and the
military are not to be dismissed. All great leaders of men have known
the formula for successfully directing the actions of his followers.
The degree to which any given follower is malleable, is directly
proportional
to the followers vulnerability to blind
faith. The followers that makes the best "soldiers" of God, are those
that by their very nature, are predisposed to not question but rather to
accept the situation or his orders on faith alone. It appears that some
groups even engage in a one up-man-ship to praise those whose faith
seems truly the most "blind". Which it seems stands the very real
danger of praising those who's faith could cause them to engage in the
most absurd of behaviors. Their faith must really be blind if
they would do that!
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